Treatments
by DoYouKnowHowYou'veSavedMe
Summary: "But Riker knew the truth. As he sat on his bed that night with a red notebook open in his lap, titled Patient #11, he knew. What happened to Patients 1-10 is behind closed doors, or in this case, recorded in a locked box under his bed. He has Ross's medical information in that red book. Age, height, weight, blood type...things like that. Oh, yes. Riker knows the truth. "


**Word of the wise: This is going to be sad, and creepy, and I hate myself for writing this, but horror is what I'm good at. Sorrynotsorry. So, here we go. **

It was a rather chilly Friday afternoon in Littleton as the Lynch siblings played in the schools playground. Rocky pushed his sister on the swings, Ryland stayed over on the basketball court with his dad, Stormie observed her children with joy, and Ross sat on top of the play gym with Riker.

"So...what's up, Rike?" Ross asked. Riker had called him up here to have a conversation. Ross was slightly nervous, as Riker hadn't been himself the whole day. Yes, he is sixteen, and some angst is normal, but this was weird. Silent, angry, ready to snap at the smallest thing.

"Do you know...do you know how old you are now?" Riker asked, looking down, and scratching at the plastic they were sitting on. Ross looked at him, confused.

"Yeah, I'm twelve. Why?" Ross asked, shrugging his shoulders. Riker looked back up, making eye contact with his younger brother.

"Have you ever been...hit before?" Riker questioned. Ross gave him a puzzled look.

"Like..punched? In a fight? No." Ross responded. Riker nodded, before turning away again.

"Can you come with me a second?" Riker said, motioning for Ross to get down with him. Riker jumped from the top, landing easily on the ground, and watched with petty amusement as Ross scrambled down, too afraid to jump.

"Where are you two going?" Stormie asked as they walked past her. Ross stayed silent as Riker answered, unsure of the situation himself. He had a strange feeling about this. There was something weird going on with Riker, and he didn't like it.

"To find a bathroom. We'll be back in a minute." Riker explained easily, before grabbing Ross's wrist, and pulling him into a sprint.

They ran for a good five minutes before stopping in front of a secluded alleyway. It looked cold and dark, neither of which Ross wanted anything to do with. They had travelled to a bleaker part of town, known for crimes and murders, and the younger wanted out.

Riker pointed into the darkness. "This is our alley. Know it well. It may seem creepy now, but once you know what goes on in there, you'll have a real reason to fear it. Now, stay close to me. Don't wander off." Riker said quickly, before starting into the alleyway. Ross followed behind, not wanting to lose his older brother.

The air got damper and the walls got darker with each passing step. "Remember where we're going. Wouldn't want to get lost in here." Riker said. Ross tried to memorize each turn, but got lost as soon as he could no longer see. Right, left, right, right, left, right, left, left... He didn't know anymore. He just clung tighter to his brother, holding onto his wrist as they walked.

He followed blindly through the darkness for what seemed like forever, before he heard the opening of a door. He was ushered inside by Riker, and the door was shut behind them. A sick feeling started in the pit of his stomach. Something was wrong here.

A light came from Riker's direction, and Ross looked to see his brother lighting a lantern on the side of the wall. Ross's eyes scanned the room, seeing that it was only about six feet by six feet. There was what he could only assume to be a trapdoor in the center of the dirt floor. Riker caught his gaze, and chuckled.

"Better if you don't know what's down there just yet, kiddo." He said, his voice transforming in a matter of moments. Ross felt fear settle in his gut. He glanced for the shut door, and then back up to Riker, whom he had trusted up until this very second.

Riker stepped forward, grabbing Ross's chin lightly, forcing their eyes to meet. "Are you scared?" He asked quietly, his lips twisting into a malicious smile. Ross nodded, his eyes going wide. This was most definitely not the Riker he knew. This was someone else. Someone he didn't like.

"I'm going to lay down a few rules here. First, be quiet. Unless I tell you to speak, don't utter a sound. Next, never tell of what happens here. The last one...you will learn in time. Now, I'm going to ask you a question, okay?" Riker's voice was gentle and smooth, yet so thick at the same time. Almost how you scold a child. Stern, angry, but calm.

Ross nodded, remembering his vow of silence. Riker let go of his chin, taking a step back. Ross didn't dare drop his gaze. "Right," Riker said, pointing at his right shoulder, "or left?" He then clenched his fist, and touched his nuckle gently to Ross's shoulder blade. Ross's eyes widened, and he took a small step back. "Choose or I will." Riker said, his voice raising slightly.

Ross bit his lip, and stared at his brother. Riker wouldn't really hit him, would he? That question was answered as Riker pushed Ross into the damp wall, turning his body so his left shoulder was exposed. Riker rolled up Ross's sleeve, touching his bare shoulder gently. Ross's stomach churned, as he tried to think of an explanation for this. Why was Riker doing this to him?

"We're going to do ten, okay? If you can make it through that with no noise or tears, that can be all for today. If not, we'll go until you can. Sound good?" Riker asked, his fist raised slightly. Ross whimpered, hiding his face. "Remember kiddo, no noise, even if it hurts. That'll get you out of here faster. Ready?" Ross shook his head no, not able to speak. "It's just a few punches, you can handle this. C'mon, let's get it over with."

They were really doing this. Ross sucked in a breath, and steeled himself. He nodded his head okay, preparing for the worst. Riker held his left arm straight with one hand clasped around Ross's wrist, and brought the other one back, aiming for the soft spot between the bone of his shoulder and his arm.

Riker brought the first one down with blunt power, causing Ross to smack into the wall harder than before. Ross let out a small squeak of pain unintentionally, hoping Riker didn't hear it. The next ones came fast, two, three, four, and not another sound had been heard aside from bone hitting bone. The fifth one brought tears stinging in Ross's eyes, as the pain really started to build up. Six, seven, eight, nine. A small stream of tears had made their way down Ross's face, despite Riker's warning. The final punch made Ross choke slightly, his free hand pressing into the wall so hard his knuckles were turning white.

Riker turned Ross to look at him. Ross tried to hide the tears, but he knew it was no use. Riker gently wiped them away with his thumb, and studied him thoughtfully. "Two small cries, and some tears. How about four more? Sound fair?" Riker asked, locking eyes with Ross again. Ross nodded, sniffing, before turning to the side again. What choice did he have?

Riker made those four fast, and much less brutal than the first ten, before pulling Ross off of the wall, and rolling his sleeve back down over the quickly forming bruise. "You did good, kiddo. That's all for today. Now, let's get back to mom. We'll talk later."

Riker led Ross out of the alley, and stopped him before they went any further. "What's rule number two?" Riker asked him.

"D-don't tell anyone." Ross stuttered out, not meeting Riker's gaze. Riker frowned, and lifted Ross's chin to look at him.

"Breathe Ross, we're done. You don't need to be afraid of me. I'm still your brother. Try and forget for now, okay?" Riker said softly. Ross nodded, unsure. "Now, let's get back to mom."

Stormie was waiting for them to get back, beginning to get worried. "Sorry, we got kinda lost." Riker muttered sheepishly, when they were asked to explain themselves. Stormie rolled her eyes, and the family began walking toward their home, about ten blocks away. Ross chose to walk as far away from Riker as possible, and Riker kept looking at him with caring eyes.

Ross went to bed immediately after they got home, which was strange. Mark went in after him, making sure he was all right, before leaving. As far as anyone knew, he was tired.

But Riker knew the truth. As he sat on his bed that night with a red notebook open in his lap, titled Patient #11, he knew. What happened to Patients 1-10 is behind closed doors, or in this case, recorded in a locked box under his bed. He had Ross's medical information in that book. Age, height, weight, blood type...things like that.

And that page that he filled out.

May 5, 2006

Treatment received: Ten punches to the left shoulder

Noise: 2 small cries

Tears: Yes

Treatment pain level: Low

Punishment: Four additional punches.

Next planned treatment date: May 12, 2006

(Put on a weekly Friday plan)

Oh yes, Riker knows the truth.

**Fuckidy fuck let the tomatoes be thrown. Don't kill me. Love me. **


End file.
